Don’t Let the Bast**ds Get You Down!
Ever wonder why despite the ups and downs you continue doing what you do? Why you continue the daily grind, sometimes seeing little in return? Me too. Sometimes I think, “Why am I busting my a** doing this?” Where’s the reward? And then something magical happens to remind me…
It’s our big, annual event, the Prosperity Conference & Expo, a two-day coming together of like-minded, positive, success-oriented people joining forces with the express purpose of building our businesses and building our lives. A lineup of success speakers, millionaire mentors and victim to victory triumphs meant to inspire, educate and motivate. And the ultimate goal – to change lives. Marianne Williamson, author of “Return to Love” among other “Course in Miracles” based books said:
“Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, our greatest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”
That’s the goal of the Prosperity Conference – to demolish fear so that we embrace our power and use it to make our world not just better, but the best we can make it.
This year was the pinnacle. This year the breakthroughs were extraordinary. People sought me out the entire weekend to share their Ah-Ha Moments, the perfect partnerships they created, their epiphanies, that one thing they needed to see, hear, feel that’s now taking them to the next level. It was magical. Really, magical.
They reminded me that the time, effort, energy and work required to make the conference happen was beyond worth it. Putting on an event for hundreds of people is a major undertaking: selling tickets, managing speakers, enrolling volunteers, on and on and on…it was easy to get lost in the details and forget what I was working toward.
I’m changing my world even though I don’t always see it right away. So are you. In every person you touch, you change your piece of the world. You may not have a big annual event to provide immediate testimony, but you are changing your world nevertheless. What’s your vision, your dream? Look right now at your day to day, remind yourself of your vision, your passion, your dream. Keep going. There’s no feeling in the world like accomplishing what you set out to accomplish. It’s magical, it’s powerful and it’s joyful!
Don't Let the Bast**ds Get You Down!
Ever wonder why despite the ups and downs you continue doing what you do? Why you continue the daily grind, sometimes seeing little in return? Me too. Sometimes I think, “Why am I busting my a** doing this?” Where’s the reward? And then something magical happens to remind me…
It’s our big, annual event, the Prosperity Conference & Expo, a two-day coming together of like-minded, positive, success-oriented people joining forces with the express purpose of building our businesses and building our lives. A lineup of success speakers, millionaire mentors and victim to victory triumphs meant to inspire, educate and motivate. And the ultimate goal – to change lives. Marianne Williamson, author of “Return to Love” among other “Course in Miracles” based books said:
“Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, our greatest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”
That’s the goal of the Prosperity Conference – to demolish fear so that we embrace our power and use it to make our world not just better, but the best we can make it.
This year was the pinnacle. This year the breakthroughs were extraordinary. People sought me out the entire weekend to share their Ah-Ha Moments, the perfect partnerships they created, their epiphanies, that one thing they needed to see, hear, feel that’s now taking them to the next level. It was magical. Really, magical.
They reminded me that the time, effort, energy and work required to make the conference happen was beyond worth it. Putting on an event for hundreds of people is a major undertaking: selling tickets, managing speakers, enrolling volunteers, on and on and on…it was easy to get lost in the details and forget what I was working toward.
I’m changing my world even though I don’t always see it right away. So are you. In every person you touch, you change your piece of the world. You may not have a big annual event to provide immediate testimony, but you are changing your world nevertheless. What’s your vision, your dream? Look right now at your day to day, remind yourself of your vision, your passion, your dream. Keep going. There’s no feeling in the world like accomplishing what you set out to accomplish. It’s magical, it’s powerful and it’s joyful!
Cravings
Ah, the adventures of being human… It’s amazing! It’s glorious! It’s humbling!
In my last two posts (A Moment of Grace & The Joy Diet) I celebrated my spontaneous healing from a life-long struggle with body image and food addition. In The Joy Diet, I suggested we ask the question, “What will bring me the most joy?”
Great question, huh? Well, a mere week after submitting that writing, I was overcome by a sudden, insane craving for candy corn! Not Godiva chocolate, not truffles, not something elegant and joy-filled. Nope, I wanted gutter-sugar. For me, candy corn ≠ joy. It makes me physically ill. Not joyful.
What The Heck Was Going On?
I wanted my healing to be complete perfect. When that candy-corn-craving showed up, I assumed I’d failed. Part of me still believes perfect is possible, that achieving it will somehow keep me safe. Naturally, that’s not true; however, sometimes I go unconscious, get amnesia and lose my way. You know, being human and all.
Enter Dr. Oz
I was running errands the other day (harboring a secret-evil plan to nonchalantly pick a bag of those tri-colored you-know-whats) and listening to Dr. Oz on the radio. His guest was scolding him for tolerating a minor water leak in his house, implying that this was hugely symbolic. He was, in fact, allowing damage to his foundation and this damage would inevitably encroach upon other areas of his life.
Dr. Oz light-heartedly responded that the leak wasn’t damaging the foundation and it really wasn’t a nuisance to him. It’s OK. Then he said something brilliant: “You know, the enemy of good is perfect.”
Whoa.
Perfection Perschmection!
My perfectionism had crashed my party! There I was, enjoying a new state of health, not expecting that weird craving. Before I could get my bearings (and see that it’s just a little leak), in marched my perfectionism, pointing her boney finger at the PROOF of my failing and fraudulence! Oy.
Thank you Dr. Oz. I can relax and make room for my imperfect humanity. Forgiveness is key. So is compassion.
Compassion trumps perfection any day of the week!
Joy May Be as Close as Your Smile
“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Monk
When I speak about how raising your vibrations can support your success at work and in life, I often begin with a simple demonstration. I ask for a volunteer from the audience to join me up front and request for that person to smile. Then, I invite the audience to smile, too. “A big bright smile. Stretch those lips. Show those teeth. Don’t forget to breathe!” That always prompts a giggle. “Let’s hold this smile for about 20 seconds.” I encourage them to look around at all those smiling faces. There’s more giggling and laughter. Then, after the allotted time, I tell them they can stop smiling–if they want to.
“What happened? How did you feel?” I ask. The answers are always the same. They felt happier. Simply by faking a smile, you tell your body you are happy and your body responds by releasing feel-good endorphins into your system.
So, smile when you wake up in the morning, as you take your shower, when you’re in rush hour traffic and when you’re on the phone. As you walk into a networking meeting, greet everyone with a big, bright smile and you will attract people to you like a magnet.
Smiling is one of the best ways to raise your joy factor.
Simple Pleasures, Simple Treasures
Isn’t it amazing how some moments that at the time may seem so mundane and almost trivial, in retrospect become the most amazing and joyful? Holding a young child and smelling their hair as they sleep beside your heart, the hours spent with mom in the kitchen learning to prepare the family favorites, a simple walk along the beach listening to the sound of the surf.
Each of these holds such power in both its present and its memory. The feeling of warmth when family gathers in joy to celebrate. As life moves on and the natural ebb and flow of life and death continues, these memories of simple pleasures become the treasures that can instantly return us to those moments of harmony and joy.
So often the events that required pomp and hoopla weren’t the ones that really stayed with me. The most simple, like the smell of apple crisp in the fall, or the scent of my baby’s clean hair after their bath, or the warming glow of the sunset on a summer day, leave the most powerful imprint in the psyche. These most natural events are the ones that evoke the most joy, they are the ones that are the ultimate treasures.
May your life be filled with the joy of countless simple treasures!
Joyful Revelation!
So here I am, freshly showered, feet aching and tired to the bone. An even better way to describe it would be “spent.” What a day. A full day at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure Theme Park. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is open you know. And this is my niece’s 18th birthday and Hogwart’s is where she wanted to go. Whatever Mimi wants, Mimi gets. Don’t get me wrong – she is truly spoiled. But she’s not a brat. She’s earned everything she gets because she’s responsible, generous, loving, supportive and accountable. She’s a wonderful girl. And I’m so glad we came this weekend despite the 95 degree temperatures, the 98 percent humidity and the constant threat of rain. Not only did I have a wonderful time with my husband, my sister, her 2 kids and her 4-year old grandson, Felix, I officially moved into the world of “Grandparents.”
It was quite a revelation actually. And I’m not just talking about the fact that we were always walking well behind the younger folks. When you’re the parent, or the managing aunt as in my case, you’re the one who has to calm down the kids, keep them happy, carry them when they’re tired, coax them to stop whining, handle their tantrums and on and on and on. But all that’s changed now. See now there’s grown people between me and the 4-year old and I don’t have to do any of that responsible stuff anymore. I can just have fun, I can enjoy taking Felix on the rides, listen to the sound of his laughter, loving every moment of it. And as soon as I hear the slightest whimper, Dad takes over. It’s perfect. All the joy, all the love, all the laughter, none of the parenting.
With that kind of generational progress, can handing off hosting Thanksgiving dinner be far behind? Welcome to the next phase. I think I’m going to like it here.
Joy Rides
For the past six weeks, my sister and I have been meeting at 6:45 AM for a 75-minute bike ride. A personal triumph because I really like to sleep in and this has me up at 5:45, out the door by 6:20. However, I like biking and being with my sister more than I like sleeping, so off I go for some great fun! Except for one pesky interference….
The Critters.
Apparently dawn is when all God’s creatures come out to our little bike path. We’ve dodged countless squirrels, rabbits, snakes, bullfrogs, chipmunks, and deer, with only one casualty – an unlucky chipmunk. [I can’t even begin to convey the trauma of bicycling over a live animal, but I'll try: you feel every lump, bump, squish, & crack. It’s revolting! So now, before each ride I work my Stay-Off-the-Path-You-Dang-Critters Mojo™, which seems to be helping. (Details available upon request.)]
By far the most JOYFUL aspect of our morning adventures is the bond that is re-forming between us. As children we were very tight, but over the years and for no apparent reason, we’d become less so. Not estranged or even distant, just not so close. This has dramatically changed in recent weeks, as if some patient, dormant love is being reawakened. Today’s events only served to accelerate this process.
This morning, my sister took a nasty spill, flying off her bike and landing on her head, on the pavement – thank goodness for her helmet! Eventually she was able to ride the short distance back to our car, suffering only a few scrapes, bruises, and a torn ligament. The experience was as emotionally jarring as it was thought provoking.
It has me thinking about love and about its mysterious power to change us, if we are willing. My sister and I are both letting our love matter, not taking it for granted. It brightens my day and lifts my spirit. It ripples out to my family, friends, colleagues, and clients. It has me looking for other situations in my life where I can be less guarded and more available for love’s magic.
The Joy Factor
Welcome fellow Happiness Pioneers! You've come to the right place if you are looking to raise your Joy Factor. My vision is for everyone to live a life aligned with their passions and full of joy. The intention of this site is to offer you juicy nuggets that will increase your experience of joy and delight. Take a look around, grab something yummy and share the joy.
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